Landscape of Virginia

I awoke to learn that it was bike to work day, and I was going to ride to work anyway but on my journey I learned of a table at an intersection where I usually travel that featured bananas and bagel parts in bite sized pieces. Couldn't have been a better start to the day, meeting with other bikeriders on their way to work. I was tired after riding to the gym yesterday and working out for an hour and a half then riding another five miles home...but ride we must. I have driven my car since Sunday and today is two days later and I don't think I'll be driving today either. I'm on my way to the ballgame tonight, it's the last homegame in regular season. I'm headed their with a friend from long ago. He got tickets to row four just behind homeplate, couldn't ask for anything better than that to see our hometown champions playball.

It's been a struggle to beat this illness today (it's the flu) but today I got over it. All the ugly stuff that comes with being sick seems to have lifted this evening and I'm ready to get at it once again. I don't like missing out on life so I stuck with doing my job even though I was sick for the last three days, I don't usually do this but the weather was so good for biking, etc. Tonight I'm back into my old self, feeling ok once again. I don't recommend this action for most illnesses but I was so fed up with being sick in the springtime, that I had to keep going. I enjoyed being with people these past few days, and I was careful not to touch people or too many things at work. I think I hope I didn't pass it on. Today I am hearing from a student who really wants to go to college and who wants to help people in the consumer case management program that the local community college offers to some who are recommended. I didn't say, "w...

I was sick yesterday and today, but I forge onward with some time at work, some football throwing which is always a winner and some of the getting down and dirty work as the cleaning crew at the U.Va. Aquatic and Fitness Center. We have been bringing a couple of our guys their since Jan or so, it's been a good job site for training people about being that janitor in a drum. We do it well. I have a flu virus or the onset of a cold bacteria, I'm not sure which it is but I don't feel like spending the time off work or the money to find out. I am getting plenty of rest though, no gym workouts for this week. I miss it. But I am biking to work. I enjoy that trip in the morning and the ride home is grand, it's only a little over two miles, I'm sure of it. I got out yesterday and photographed some of God's wondrous beautiful art in his flowers by the side of the road. That's where today's photo comes from, those eye catching Irises can take yo...

Tonight is the Republican's chance to say something when I think they know our President has ruined the stew for them already with some oversalting of the meat, or too many hot hot super hot peppers in the mix. Too hot to eat, what can you say when you have to throw it all out? I don't see them getting very far in the next election between now and the time it comes to vote next year. Such could be the situation. It's cold and wet outside and all people could think of doing for the most part was lying down and going to sleep. Both students and teachers would have rather of just gott'n tucked in for the duration of the wet and gray day we had today. I'm with them. But I heard it was good for the Queen of England down the road in Richmond.

In talking to a local gentleman here in Charlottesville, I found out that what is now a mountain biking trail on Observatory Hill use to be an equestrian trail that allowed bikes to be ridden on it back in the day. Now, it's a fun spot that's nearby town's folk go to for a cheap thrill and the enjoyment of a little mountain biking. The trail is up a tough climb from any newcomers experience, but it's worth the climb for the sake of getting away from the city grime, and traffic noise. I've often ridden it for the fun of it, and it's a quick ride thru the woods on a good sized hill. Some people go a breakneck speeds on the trail itself but I enjoy taking a look around so I'm more inclined to take my time. Thinking back, I've ridden from Philadelphia, Pa. to Mt.Vernon along the eastern shore and back again during the hottest part of the summer of 1972. I lost a lot of water-weight on that ride but I was memorable 9 to me at least) as a feat not easi...

Going on a bike ride up to O-Hill isn't that far to go geographically but more of an elevation climb until you reach the trail. Once your their it's an easy around some curves and over some rocks and roots then head on home. The thing of it is that it seems so far removed from what this city has: sidewalks, buildings, cars, trucks and such that it feels like a touch of the country. Half way around the "Rim Trail" is a park bench with a table next to it just for folks to relax and drink in the beauty of the woods, sky and distance seen thru the trees. It's not that much of a secret to people who live here, it may be to some, but it seems most people seem to know about it, it's just whenever I've been up their, I don't run into all that many people who know about it. But when I am riding up on the Rim Trail I might meet one or two people but it doesn't seem like that much of a bother, but I guess to some it maybe. It's not to me. I kno...

I was at the U.Va. vs James Madison U. baseball game last night. It was a long drawn out event but it was really interesting. The game had a good deal of strategy as a lot of games do but it really was a struggle for these guys to get a run for fourteen innings. Then at around 11 pm it broke loose with JMU scoring five runs, and we had to answer for them all or the game was over. My friend and I witnessed many fans packing it in for the night and going home. But, we decided that it's not necessarily over until the very last out. I'm glad we did that, because the Cav's came back into the next at bat scoring two or three runs really quickly. We got excited! Then with two men on base Sean (or Dot as he seems to be called) Doolittle came to bat. With a mighty swing he hit the ball, all of my hopes flew with that ball when it headed up into the night sky. From where we were sitting it was hard to see what kind of arch the ball had, and it looked like it might go over t...